Ethiopia

Wildfires and forest fires are an increasing global problem. Ethiopia is no exception, and this threatens biodiversity, livelihoods, and the country's efforts to meet its climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Pastoral Environment Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA) partnered with CIFOR-ICRAF to conduct a study on wildfire management in Ethiopia.

This report presents the results of the study that assessed wildfire management issues such as gaps in knowledge and capacity, and the lack of a long-term strategy for effective forest fire prediction, reporting, control and management, and an analysis of MODIS satellite data to analyze patterns and trends.
 

The Ethiopian Dryland Restoration Strategy is a landmark document that provides the basis for the development of these vast and previously neglected areas. It opens with messages from H.E. Prof. Eyasu Elias State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, and H.E. Ato Kebede Yimam, Director General, Ethiopian Forestry Development. Guiding principles, scope and rationale set the scene, before the strategy is laid out under four main themes – (i) natural resource management; (ii) land tenure, community rights and governance; (iii) livelihoods, markets and value chains; and (iv) policy alignment and coordination. This is followed with details on coordination and implementation arrangements, financing mechanisms, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning. 

Human pressure and intensified drought have seen Ethiopia recurrently affected by severe wildfire emergencies since 2019. This article reviews the history, causes and impacts of wildfires in Ethiopia, identifies gaps, and discusses plans for improving fire management using an integrated approach at national, subnational and community levels. Not having a national wildfire management strategy undermines Ethiopia’s capacity for forecasting, preventing and suppressing wildfire, and fire management must be an integral part of land-use management policies and practices. These must consider cultural values, socioeconomic realities and ecological differences where fires occur, including rangelands, dry forests and woodlands, and requires multi-level governance and devolution of responsibility and increased support for local decision-making.

The report is part of a series of case studies that provide insights into various mechanisms used to increase access to finance for smallholder farmers, SMEs and communities in their efforts to contribute to sustainable landscapes. This case study assessed the three major pathways for financial flows identified in the Bale Mountains Eco-region REDD+ Carbon project, Oromia, Ethiopia, implemented by Farm Africa in collaboration with SOS Sahel Ethiopia. This was analysed in the national context, with data collected on the experiences of financing restoration experiences of seven other NGOs and governmental organizations, providing important lessons for policy and practice.